Wimbledon notebook: Russian onslaught grinds to a halt against Americans

The Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England - Lindsay Davenport isn't too happy she was left off the U.S. Fed Cup team that will play Italy next month.

Her mother is having surgery the Monday before the July 19-20 quarterfinals in Washington, so Davenport wouldn't show up until Tuesday - a day later than the rest of the squad. And U.S. captain Billie Jean King wasn't having that.

"Billie runs a tight ship. She's been tough on all of us," Davenport said after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals by beating Shinobu Asagoe 6-4, 6-1.

"She told me to forget it . . ."

In a statement released by the U.S. Tennis Association, King said the USTA looked forward to having Davenport play when she's "available."

Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Meghann Shaughnessy and Lisa Raymond will be on the team.

AMERICAN EDGE: Five Russian women were in the fourth round for the first time in Grand Slam history. But just one made the quarterfinals.

On Monday, three of the four Americans in the last 16 played Russians - and all won.

But one Russian made it to the quarters: Svetlana Kuznetsova beat 16-year-old wild-card Maria Sharapova 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.

HENMANIA CONTINUES: Tim Henman is getting the Brits excited again.

His fourth round match Monday against last year's finalist David Nalbandian was shown prime time on British television - displacing the BBC's evening news and delaying the popular soap opera "EastEnders."

Spurred on by cheers from the Centre Court crowd and those watching on the big screen on nearby "Henman Hill," the Englishman reached his seventh quarterfinal in eight years with a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3 victory against Argentina's David Nalbandian.